The Professional Fighters League kicked off its 2024 regular season in San Antonio, Texas on Thursday with PFL 1 featuring heavyweights and women’s flyweights in action.
The addition of the women’s 125lb weight class to the PFL tournament replaces the featherweight division, where Larissa Pacheco had won it all last year.
In Thursday night’s main event, former PFL heavyweight champ and Mirko Cro-Cop student Ante Delija returned, taking on Fedor Team’s Valentin Moldavsky, a former Bellator MMA heavyweight champion. Two big storylines encircled the bout: the arrival of Bellator talent to the PFL season, leading to unquestionably deeper divisions this year, and the rivalry between Fedor Emelianenko’s team and that of Cro-Cop, something Moldavsky downplayed during Fight Week.
Also on the PFL 1 card, Bellator champ Liz Carmouche kicked off her season against an old foe in Juliana Velasquez, while UFC alum Marcelo Golm faced Bellator staple Daniel James, who came in heavy for the bout, costing himself a point, plus 20% fine. Shanna Young, paired up with Kana Watanabe, was also heavy for the event.
Where to Watch PFL 1: Delija vs. Moldavsky
Thursday, April 4, 2024 sees PFL 1 take place at the Boeing Center in San Antonio, Texas. The card airs live on ESPN2 and ESPN+ in the US, and on DAZN in Canada. Full results from the event can be found below. The action gets underway at 6:30PM ET, 3:30PM PT.
2024 PFL 1 Results
Main Card
Heavyweight Regular Season Main Event: Valentin Moldavsky def. Ante Delija by TKO, Round 1, 2:17
Heavyweight Regular Season Co-Main Event: Denis Goltsov def. Linton Vassell by TKO, Round 3, 3:11
Women’s Flyweight Regular Season Bout: Liz Carmouche def. Juliana Velasquez by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
Women’s Flyweight Regular Season Bout: Dakota Ditcheva def. Lisa Mauldin by TKO, Round 3:54
Preliminary Card
Heavyweight Regular Season Bout: Daniel James def. Marcelo Golm by TKO, Round 1, 4:59
Heavyweight Regular Season Bout: Sergey Bilostenniy def. Blagoy Ivanov by unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
Women’s Flyweight Regular Season Bout: Taila Santos def. Ilara Joanne by submission (rear-naked choke), Round 1, 3:57
Heavyweight Regular Season Bout: Oleg Popov def. Steve Mowry by TKO (ground n’ pound), Round 2, 3:47
Women’s Flyweight Regular Season Bout: Kana Watanabe def. Shanna Young by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
Women’s Flyweight Regular Season Bout: Jena Bishop def. Chelsea Hackett by submission (arm-bar), Round 1, 4:25
Featherweight: Dimitre Ivy def. Lucas Brennan by unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
Bantamweight: Bryce Meredith def. Ty Johnson by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
